A Game of Thrones Reread - Part 5

Who's ready for another Song of Ice and Fire reread???

In this part of the reread, the shit hits the proverbial fan. We see what a brother will do, for the love of his sister. And we finally got a Tyrion point of view.  Throughout the books, whenever I saw that a Tyrion chapter was next, I'd get excited.  What a great character.

Remember, possible spoilers up to and through A Feast for Crows, so if you haven't read - don't read this!

On to the reread!

BRAN

Summary

The King and Eddard left the castle to go on a hunt, and Prince Joffrey, Robb, Uncle Benjen, Jory, Theon, Ser Rorik, and Tyrion all went too. This was the last day in Winterfell, they would head south in the morning. Bran was annoyed to be left behind with the girls, and Rickon - the baby. 

Bran was excited to leave, and to start the new chapter in his life. Bran dreamed of becoming a knight himself, and joining the Kingsguard. There were only seven members of the Kingsguard, and they wore white armor and had no wives or children. They were known to be the finest knights in the land. Three of the Kingsguard had come north, but Robb said that since Ser Jaime Lannister had killed the old mad king he shouldn't count. 

Bran walked around the castle, saying his goodbyes, his wolf at his side. He still hadn't thought of a name.

Robb was calling his Grey Wind, because he ran so fast. Sansa had named hers Lady, and Arya named hers after some old witch queen in the songs, and little Rickon called his Shaggydog, which Bran thought was a pretty stupid name for a direwolf.

Bran was bored and decided to go climbing. He went to the godswood and started climbing a tall tree which would lead to the roof of the castle. As he was climbing the tree, his wolf began to howl. The howling continued until Bran was out of sight. Bran loved to climb and the rooftops of Winterfell were a second home to him. His mother was terrified that he would slip and fall one day, but Bran wasn't worried - he never fell. His mother had tried to ban him from climbing, but he was never able to stop for long. Bran was headed towards the broken tower, running across a roof and then swinging from gargoyle to gargoyle, when he heard voices coming from a window below. He heard a man's voice and a woman's voice arguing, with the woman telling the man that he should have been named Hand. They were worried about Eddard's friendship with Robert, saying he was closer to Robert than either of Robert's actual brothers - Stannis or Renly.

"We out to count ourselves fortunate," the man said. "The king might as easily have named one of his brothers, or even Littlefinger, gods help us. Give me honorable enemies rather than ambitious ones, and I'll sleep more easily by night."

Bran knew this was an important conversation, and they were talking about his father, so he tried to move closer. The woman feared that Eddard's agreement to become Hand meant that he planned to move against them.  They began discussing Lysa Arryn, surprised she wasn't at Winterfell to greet them with "her accusations." The man told her not to worry, if she had any proof she would have went to Robert directly.

"Do you think the king will require proof?" the woman said. "I tell you, he loves me not."

"And whose fault is that, sweet sister?"

Bran was suddenly frightened, but he needed to see who was speaking. He wrapped his legs around the gargoyle to peak into the window from above, hanging upside down. The man and woman were both naked, and they were kissing.  When the man moved his head, Bran saw her face, and he immediately recognized the queen. He must have made a noise, because she opened her eyes and screamed. Bran slipped and fell past the window, barely grabbing on with one hand. The couple appeared in the window above him.

The queen. And now Bran recognized the man beside her. They looked as much alike as reflections in a mirror.

"He saw us," the woman said shrilly.

"So he did," the man said. 

The man reached down and pulled Bran up, standing him on the windowsill. The man asked how old he was, and Bran told him seven.

The man looked over at the woman. "The things I do for love," he said with loathing. He gave Bran a shove.

Bran went backwards out the window, with the ground coming up to meet him. In the distance, a wolf was howling.

My Thoughts

Man. Man oh man oh man. This was a tough one. I still remember the first time I read this and thinking holy shit. You read enough fantasy, you kind of get used to a certain trope, for better or for worse. And then this happens, and lets you know not to feel safe about anything. Bran was the first point of view chapter in the book, a young lordling of seven, with nothing but visions of the future and what a great knight he would be. Constantly cheery, loves to climb.  And what happens? He overhears the queen and her brother discuss murdering the previous Hand, moving against the king and Ned, and then having sex with each other!!!

No teasing anything out here, we know the Lannisters are bad. Real bad. Incest and murdering children bad. Yikes. "The things I do for love." It gives me chills, and not in a good way.

I could go on about those two pages forever, but I should mention some other points. Besides the fact that the direwolves immediately took to the Stark (and Snow) children, this is the first real sign we have that maybe there is a greater connection than just 'a boy and his dog.' Bran's wolf was howling at the tree, as if telling him not to go. And when Bran fell, his wolf knew it immediately.

Also, I have to give Martin credit (once again, that will happen a lot) in his handling of Jaime. Once I read this, I knew Jaime was the villain of the peace, and I would cheer for his death. So what happens a couple books down the road. Jaime becomes a main character, we see his point of view, we see things from his perspective, and so help me I start to cheer for him! What the hell?  What does that even say about me!? Now don't get me wrong, it doesn't make me approve of what he did here even in the slightest. And sure, Jaime does have a bit of a change of heart later on, but still. The fact that he could do this, and he would still have some redeeming qualities? That's a tough one to pull off.

TYRION

Summary

Tyrion had stayed up most of the night in the library, and was broken out of his reverie by the howling of a wolf. Tyrion woke up the Septon and returned the scroll he was reading, complimenting the library's collection. Once Tyrion was outside, he saw the men were already at it in the practice yard. Tyrion heard Sandor Clegane comment that the boy was taking a long time dying.

Clegane was standing with Joffrey, and Joffrey said that the boy dies quietly, but the wolf's howls keep him up at night. Clegane offers to kill the wolf, a notion which Joffrey loves, until Tyrion interrupts. Clegane mocked Tyrion's height, which he did often. Tyrion informed Joffrey that it was time he went to Lord Eddard and his lady and offer them comfort. Joffrey mocked the Starks, which caused Tyrion to slap him across the face. Joffrey threatened to tell his mother, which earned him another slap. Tyrion told him to go ahead and tell his mother, but to offer his comfort to the Starks first. Near tears, Joffrey ran away. Clegane loomed over Tyrion, his burned face covered by a visored helmet, fashioned to look like a snarling hound. Tyrion asked him where his brother and sister were, and went off to meet them for breakfast.

Tyrion found Jaime, Cersei, Princess Myrcella, and Tommen breaking fast together, so he joined them. Tyrion asked after the king, and Cersei told him he has not slept and has remained with Eddard, that he has taken Eddard's sorrow to heart.

"He has a large heart, our Robert," Jaime said with a lazy smile. There was very little that Jaime took seriously. Tyrion knew that about his brother, and forgave it. During all the terrible long years of his childhood, only Jaime had ever shown him the smallest measure of affection or respect, and for that Tyrion was willing to forgive him most anything.

Prince Tommen asked Tyrion if he had news of Bran. Tyrion said he had visited the room and the maester said there was no change - which was a good sign. The maester thinks Bran will live. Jaime wanted to know exactly what the maester said. Tyrion chewed his food before answering, and said that if Bran were to die he probably would have died by now, as it has been four days since the accident. But Bran's back is broken, so if he ever wakes - he will never walk again.

"If he wakes," Cersei repeated. "Is that likely?"

Tyrion said the maester only hopes at this point. Tyrion muses that the wolf may be keeping the boy alive. The wolf remains outside the window howling, day and night. Whenever they chase it away, it returns. Once when they closed the window, Bran worsened until they opened the window again. Then his heart beat stronger. Cersei comments that she does not want the wolves coming south with them. Tyrion takes this opportunity to comment that he will not be traveling south with them, he means to travel north with Benjen and view the Wall. Cersei takes the children and leaves, leaving Jaime and Tyrion alone.

Jaime does not think Eddard would leave his son like this, but Tyrion thinks otherwise. There is nothing Eddard could do for Bran by staying.  Jaime continued,

"Even if the boy does live, he will be a cripple. Worse than a cripple. A grotesque. Give me a good clean death."

Jaime and Tyrion banter back and forth. Tyrion says that he hopes the boy does wake up. "I would be most interested to hear what he might have to say." This put an end to Jaime's amusement, who asked Tyrion whose side he was on. Tyrion replied not to worry, "You know how much I love my family."

My Thoughts

We are still reeling from the events of last chapter, but we get a few interesting tidbits this chapter. Most notably, Tyrion is a damn cool character. We see right away that he is smart and insightful, and interested in the world around him. And despite being a dwarf he can be tough. Joffrey, who seemed such the monster through the eyes of the children, becomes just a little brat in Tyrion's eyes.

We see more of the connection between the wolf and Bran, which I always liked. I'm hoping in Dance with Dragons (when Bran FINALLY reenters the story) we learn more about the exact relationship between Stark and direwolf.

I think that about covers the chapter, except for one great line I believe I will quote again:

"Even if the boy does live, he will be a cripple. Worse than a cripple. A grotesque. Give me a good clean death."

A Jaime, famous last words! I don't think you still feel this way when you become a cripple!

Well those were my thoughts, what are yours?